Pros: The price point is nice. I upgraded to this from a very popular but inexpensive ten inch sub that has rave reviews. It did a fine job for what it was, but it simply did not have the moment-to-moment punch that I wanted and that some of what I watched needed. This sub does. The build quality seems top-notch and it has never rumbled or seemed to be straining in the least even when I let things get loud. Simply, it gets the job done well.

Cons: I wish, and this is a very picky point, that BIC offered a wood finish as well as the basic black. I know that black is all the rage just now, but some of us old guys still like the look of real wood.

Overall Review: Many, many years ago I bought a BIC turntable when BIC were the new kids on the block. I kept that thing for years, and only got rid of it when I sold my vinyl and went to CDs. My point is, the company has a history of building solid equipment. I hope that this subwoofer lasts as long.

Pros: Would have been a terrific board if the chips had not been faulty. Was told by ASUS that they would send me a new board when I was ready to turn in the old one. When I got ready to make the swap they wanted to send me a refurbished board. No way. New board for new board. Offered to purchase an upgraded board, making up the difference in cash, since my board was no longer being manufactured. No dice. Stuck with flawed board or accept a refurbished board which is like trading one set of problems, which are known, for another set of problems, which are unknown.

Cons: Benson...what a great job to have. Sound like a nice guy and then do nothing to help. I was promised a new board by ASUS CSRs when the problems began to crop up in the original batch of boards. They told me I could wait to swap till a time when I did not need the computer constantly for working. When I tried to take them up on their promises, the rules had changed. Sorry, no new board; take whatever we are willing to give you.

Overall Review: Now I am ready to do another build, and the motherboard I would like to use is an ASUS, but there is no way in Hades I will trust those guys again, so I will need to settle for a board from another company.

Pros: Got this card to up the performance in a now aging gaming machine. It does the job. Well. The only reason I could think of for buying a GTX 980 would simply be to waste some money so I could brag to my buddies about how cool I am, but they know that anyway. I run all the games on the highest settings, with an occasional rare exception here and there when GForce Experience recommends them, and I use a 27' monitor (1920 x 1200) so the card is pushing more than a few pixels. Fan whine. What fan whine? I air cool, so I have five 120mm case fans running. They are quiet but not silent, and the card does not add appreciably to the murmur even after extended use. The temp of the card at idle is in the 30s and gets up to the low 40s when I push it. Also, this is shorter than a lot of the competition, so if case space is problematic, this card is your buddy. I do not know why so many people say this is a huge card; perhaps they so not read well. All of the 900 series have some size to them. Another top notch effort from MSI.

Cons: The memory division thing. But that is a problem across the board, and the fault lies squarely with Nvidia for providing misleading specs., not with MSI or the other manufacturers. Come on Nvidia, stop with the "New Math, " and play fair with the consumers.

Overall Review: 3770k 16gb Corsair ASUS P8 Z77-V Pro MSI GTX (&) Gaming Lian Li PC-B25F Samsung SyncMaster 275T i.e. one fast old dinosaur.

Pros: I do not trust liquid cooling...I know that view of things flies in the face of current technological expertise, but liquid cooling systems do occasionally leak. Huge problems can result. This CPU cooler does an excellent job of keeping things cool. Right now my chip (a 3770k) is in the low 30s. I have never seen it higher than the high 40s, and I play a lot of FPS games on max and near-max settings. This cooler does a fine job. Nuff said.

Cons: This cooler is a bear to install. Before building my current computer, I watched everything on the net about installing this cooler...probably eight or ten videos. When it came time to actually build the machine, despite the videos, and despite the included instructions...which are about one inch away from totally worthless...I still had problems with the installation. I found myself regretting that there were no rocket scientists living in my neighborhood. I finally got it installed, and I have never had cause for regret. One last thing: I did not use the included paste. I always use Zalman's thermal solution instead of the tube brands like Artic Silver. Zalman's "paints" on, so you never have to worry about an even coating, and painting is easy. Also, it does a great job. I did not have the problems mounting the fan that some have described. I do not know if this was a matter of luck, but for whatever reason, installing the fan was not an issue.

Overall Review: If you go with air cooling, if you get this cooler installed without going insane, you are going to be extremely happy with the product. It does what it is intended to do extremely well.

Pros: Tested, fast, flexible. The 4770k beats this CPU in some aspects and loses to it in others. All things taken together, the two are about the same. I bought my 3770K just as the Haswells were coming out. I went with the older technology because it was tested, efficient, and reliable, a proven CPU. I do not regret the choice. Now that the Haswell has established itself, which generation to buy is pretty much a matter of economics. One big plus for me is that it runs so cool: usually in the 30s and moving into the mid 40s when seriously gaming.

Cons: I really have nothing bad to say about the 3700K. It has the power to multitask easily.

Overall Review: I game a great deal, so this CPU may be overkill...the 3500K is perhaps the better price point for gamers since hyper threading is not really necessary; however, I like to keep my machines a while and upgrade one component at a time, so the 3700K seemed like a good way to go, working on the assumption that game design will be making use of the hyper threading potential sooner rather than later. Duration of ownership is closer to a year than not.

Pros: This is a three-way speaker with five speakers. My first CS speaker was two-channels with three speakers. I am an old codger who wears hearing aids. The first speaker came highly recommended, but it just didn't work for me. The infinity produces wonderfully clear and crisp dialogue without me having any concerns about volume. The extra speakers and sound separation make all the difference.

Cons: Make sure that you check the dimensions of this speaker before you buy it. It is huge and heavy. However, should you happen to forget to check the specs, do not under any circumstances send it back. Just spring for a new entertainment center. This speaker is that good.

Overall Review: You can sometimes find this speaker on sale here and other places. Accordingly, I'd suggest you keep your eyes open and be patient.